Logging rig



June 21, 1938.. c. TORNER 2,12 34.

LOGGING RIG,

Filed Nov. 15, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l Attorneys June 21, 1938. Q TQRNER 2,121,134 I LOGGING RIG Filed Nov. 15, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 21, 1938. Q omm I 2,121,134

LOGGING RIG Filed Nov. 15, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In venior 622% Warner wam fi m Aito neys Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to block and tackle rigs for logging operations and more particularly to carriage locking and releasing devices for the fall block carriages of such rigs.

As explanatory, in hauling logs uphill it is the practice to use a rig includinga carriage mounted on an overhead cable line, called the sky line, running from a fixed point uphill to a vertical spar, tree, or-the like, the carriage being pulled by a cable, called the main line, attached thereto and reeled upon a winch, and the logs suspended, or hooked, in a loop of the cable by means of a pulley, called a fall block. As will be understood the log is dropped, or let loose, at any de- 1 sired point by slacking up on the main line to lower the fall block.

The object of my invention is to equip a rig of this character with efficient means for locking the carriage to the sky line against retrograde movement in any selected position along said line so that logs may be dropped at any point along the line as desired.

Another object is to provide means for the purpose above set forth adapted to unlock the carriage from the sky line by pull exerted on the main line.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the following description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating a rig of the character indicated equipped according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view drawn to an enlarged scale and with parts shown in section illustrating the operation of the invention,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4 looking downwardly,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical transverse section taken through the carriage on the line l l of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2 and illustrating details of the bumper,

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a guide block forming part of the bumper, and

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a locking dog.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my invention has been illustrated therein as incorporated in a rig in which I designates the usual vertical spar, pole, or tree, supporting the overheadline, or skyline, 2 toincline upwardly thereto by means of the usual jack 3 secured to said spar, as at 4, the line 2 having its opposite ends suitably fixed adjacent to the ground in a manner immaterial to a proper understanding of the invention and therefore not illustrated in the drawings. The carriage 5 comprises a pair of side plates 6 straddling the sky line 2 and suspended therefrom by means of a pair of sheaves l rotating between said plates 6 on arbors 8 having their ends suitably mounted in said plates. Rods El and spacing sleeves l secure the plates 6 together. The main line II is connected at one end, as at I2, to the carriage below the sky line 2, as by stud l3, and trained over the bull block M which is afiixed to the spar I, adjacent the jack 3, by a ring surrounding said spar and a swivel IE on said block looping around the ring. The other end of the main line II is attached to a winch or hoist not shown. The fall block ll runs in a slack, or loop, between carriage 5 and the bull block l4 and carries a cable I8 for the attachment of the logs thereto.

In the operation of the described type of rig the logs are hauled up towards the spar l to be dropped at any predetermined point by slacking up on the main line and thereby lowering the fall block I! and logs.

According to my invention, a bumper I9 is slidably mounted on the sky line 2 between the carriage 5 and spar I and comprising a cylindrical block 2| of hard wood having an axial bore through which the sky line 2 extends and which is or" a proper size to frictionally grip said line. The described block 2| is enclosed by a substantially cylindrical sheath co-extensive in length with the block 2| and comprising a pair of complemental semi-cylindrical sections 23 and 24 hinged together as at 25 along the bottom of the block 2! and having opposed flanges 26 extending along the top of the block 2| bolted together as at 21 whereby the sections 23 and 24 are clamped around said block 2|. The flanges 26 are provided with ears 2'! apertured, as at 28, for the passage of a cable 29 therethrough by means of which the bumper is secured to the spar l against movement away from the latter. The ends of the sections 23 and 24, at the carriage end of the bumper, are out-turned laterally to provide a flange 3|] extending around the sheath l9. Pivotally mounted intermediate its ends between the plate 6, as at 3|, is a locking dog 32 vertically swingable on its pivot 3| to engage a hooked end 33 thereon with the flange 30 and having a cam edge 34 for cooperation with said flange to cam said hooked end downwardly. The hooked end 33 is normally urged upwardly towards the flange 30 by means of a bifurcated counter-balance weight 35 straddling the lower edges of the carriage plates 6 and swingably mounted on the aforementioned stud I3. The weight 35 is operatively connected to the end of the dog 32, opposite the hooked end 33, and by means of a link 33 pivoted to said weight, as at 31, and to said end of the dog 32 as at 38. One of the beforementioned spacing sleeves l limits upward movement of the hooked end 33 of the dog 32.

Referring to the operation of the invention, the bumper I9 is located along the sky line 2 in any position in which it is desired to drop the log, or logs, and secured in location against movement away from the spar by means of the cable 29. As the carriage 5 reaches the approximate desired position the hooked, end 33 of the looking dog 32 is cammed downwardly by the cam edge 34 engaging with the flange 30 and against the action of the counter-balance weight 35 to snap under and behind said flange under the influence of said weight upon further movement of the carriage towards said position. As the carriage 5 proceeds further it engages the bumper l9 and is retarded thereby so that the operator is thus advised that the proper position to unload has been reached. The main line ll may now be slackened to lower the fall block I! and log. As will be obvious retrograde movement of the carriage 5 is prevented past the selected position by the described locking coaction of the locking dog 32 and flange 30. The Weight 35 is so arranged that by pulling up on the main line H to take up all slack therein said main line may be engaged with said weight to rock the latter in the proper direction to effect downward movement of the hooked end 33 of the dog 32 away from the flange 30 and thereby unlock the carriage 5 from the bumper l9 as will be clear.

My invention will, it is believed, be clearly understood from the foregoing without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention as described is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:-

In a rig of the class described, the combination with an overhead inclined cable, an upright supporting the cable at the high end thereof, and a carriage traveling on the cable, of means for looking the carriage to the upright against retrograde movement including a bumper member on the cable at the high end thereof and anchored to the upright, a pivoted locking dog on said carriage vertically movable into and from interlocking relation with said bumper, a weight pivoted on the carriage and operatively connected to the dog for gravitational movement to overbalance said dog toward interlocking relation, said weight being swingable against the influence of gravity to move the dog from interlocking relation, and a pull line connected to the carriage to propel the same toward the high end of the cable and engageable with the weight under the pull exerted thereagainst to swing the latter against the influence of gravity.

CARL TORNER. 

